1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel scraper that is attached to a standard floor sander and the scrapes the swivel support wheel of the floor sander in order to keep the swivel support wheel relatively free of debris accumulation.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Floor sanders are wonderful tools for preparing floors for refinishing by sanding and removing the top layer of a wood or similar-materialed floor in order that this top layer can be replaced during the refinishing process. The floor sander works by providing an abrasive surface, such as a layer of sand paper, and rotating, either in a circling fashion or on an endless loop belt, this abrasive layer. As the rotating abrasive layer makes contact with the floor surface, the abrasive layer slowly causes the top of the floor surface to be ground off. The modern floor sander is an excellent tool for use in floor refinishing.
One problem experienced with floor sanders by operators of such devices is that some of the floor debris that is ground off by the floor sander accumulates on the wheels including the swivel support wheel of the floor sander. This problem is especially pronounced when sanding floors that have a relatively high oil content in the top surface from recent oiling or other coating activities. The impregnated oil helps make the ground off debris especially sticky and prone to accumulate on the wheels. As the debris on the swivel support wheel accumulates, the floor sander becomes ever more difficult to control and to turn. With sufficient debris accumulation, the swivel support wheel can cease rotation altogether, effectively rendering the floor sander inoperative. Additionally, floor digging can occur.
Typically, once sufficient debris has accumulated on the wheels, the operator of the floor sander, stops the floor sander and removes the accumulated debris using an appropriate tool, such as an appropriate abrasive surface tool or a knife. This operation is performed directly on the floor sander, or in some cases, the swivel support wheel is removed prior to cleaning. In either case, the process is time-consuming and labor intensive and reduces the overall efficiency of the operator.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a device that allows the swivel support wheel to be relatively free of debris accumulation on the surface thereof in order to prevent the operator from having to make frequent time-consuming and labor intensive stops to the floor sanding process in order to remove debris that has accumulated on the swivel support wheel. Such a device must be of relatively simple design and construction so as to be relatively affordable and must be relatively easy to install on most existing floor sanders without the need to make excessive modifications to the floor sander. Ideally, such a device can also be attached to the other wheels of the sander in order to keep these other wheels relatively free of accumulated debris.